$1.1 million in the war chest for the longtime incumbent Montigny

Sunday

Jun 26, 2011 at 12:01 AMJun 26, 2011 at 6:59 AM

NEW BEDFORD — State Sen. Mark C.W. Montigny, an 18-year incumbent once dubbed "prince of the city," has the largest war chest of any legislator on Beacon Hill. And second place isn't even close, with House Speaker Robert DeLeo boasting $462,000, less than half of Montigny's $1.1 million at the end of 2010.

Dan McDonald

NEW BEDFORD — State Sen. Mark C.W. Montigny, an 18-year incumbent once dubbed "prince of the city," has the largest war chest of any legislator on Beacon Hill. And second place isn't even close, with House Speaker Robert DeLeo boasting $462,000, less than half of Montigny's $1.1 million at the end of 2010.

The last time Montigny ended an election year with less than $1 million in the bank was 2004. He's has had the largest war chest in the Legislature for 10 years running.

And despite the fact that's Montigny has never faced a challenger who was able to muster more than 20 percent of the vote against him, he managed to spend more than $820,000 of campaign funds from 2002 to 2010, according to his filings with the state's Office of Campaign and Political Finance.

Montigny has used campaign funds to pay for more than $42,000 worth of dinners at restaurants, and that figure excludes big ticket fundraisers for which Montigny's campaign rented out a room or hall or spent more than $1,000 at a restaurant. He's paid for hundreds of meals in places ranging from high end steakhouses in Providence to New Bedford pubs.

He has used more than $17,000 in campaign funds to pay for lodging in such far-flung places as Paris, Dublin, Puerto Rico, Miami, New York, San Francisco, as well as Boston and Portland, Maine.

He used more than $18,000 worth of campaign money to pay for an Infiniti car lease from March 2008 to March 2010.

He has paid for $4,500 worth of Amtrak train tickets and $3,583 worth of plane tickets using his campaign account.

He has expensed more than $1,000 worth of cigars and $1,200 in flowers as gifts for supporters.

All of his expenditures are legal, according to the state's Office of Campaign and Political Finance.

That office has one minor violation of the campaign finance law on record for Montigny's campaign. In 1994, while still in his first term, Montigny issued a letter advertising a political fundraiser that used the state seal and listed his Statehouse phone as a return number. The rookie senator was advised not to do it again and state officials "determined that further action is not warranted."

"Candidates can make expenditures to enhance their political future so long as it's not personal," said Jason Tait, spokesman for that office. "Campaign committees can pay for food if it's for a political purpose. The standard applies to all expenditures, and, in some cases, the political purpose may require a hotel room."

Montigny is quick to defend his expenses, saying he always pays for meals and drinks when out with supporters or staff.

"I never let my staff pay for meals," he said. "It's the appropriate thing to do."

He also pointed out that he has spent money from his own campaign account to keep his New Bedford district office open, he has donated thousands of dollars to charity, and has paid tens of thousands in taxes on his campaign money, which he keeps in certificates of deposit. The charity donations range from youth hockey teams to the United Way to toy drives for underprivileged children to the library of his alma mater, UMass Dartmouth .

He has also contributed to political causes. Some are local — he contributed $400 to the Committee to Elect Jane L. Gonsalves, the city's Ward 5 councilor. Some are not — he contributed $125 to the Friends of Sinn Fein, a group affiliated with the Irish political party whose goal is a united Ireland.

Montigny, who recently turned 50, said he eschews "dirty special interests," when fundraising and says the overwhelming majority of his war chest has been raised locally.

"I'm exceedingly proud of that," he said.

He said he has scaled back his fundraising substantially during the last four years, has canceled seven of his last eight fundraisers because he recognizes that people are struggling during tough economic times.

All of the trips, overseas and across the country, have had "a direct and meaningful connection to the job," he said.

He said in years when he's not facing opposition, he still pays for advertising. He has paid The Standard-Times and its parent company at least $22,000 for ads from 2002 to 2010.

"You have to let people know you're still here," he said.

He's expensed $577 in subscription fees to the paper and donated $500 to the paper's Neediest Families Fund, all from his campaign account.

While the expenses may be above board, Jennifer Nassour, the chairwoman of the Massachusetts Republican Party, said Montigny owes the public "an explanation of what he's up to."

Nassour said there is "definitely a disconnect," between Montigny's lifestyle as reflected in his campaign expenses and that of the average New Bedford voter. She referred to him as a "jet-setting lawmaker."

"The public should know why he thinks it's important to be going to places that most people can only dream of," she said.

Responding to the criticism, Montigny said "some of (Nassour's) favorite," candidates, like U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, take money from special interest groups and "they travel ten times more than I do."

Brock Cordeiro, who serves as the SouthCoast regional chairman on the Massachusetts Republican State Committee, said Montigny's spending habits constitute a "risk he has to weigh."

"If he's living a lifestyle above and beyond the average donor, there could be serious backlash," said Cordeiro, adding that the campaign spending could possibly open the door to a "blue-collar, populist Democratic," challenger.

"If I were an activist, a donating Democrat, I may have some concerns about the way the money is being spent," said Cordeiro. "When I make a donation, I expect it will help the candidate or my party win an election."

Steve Poftak, a research director for Pioneer Institute, a Boston-based free market, limited government think tank, said the whole issue of campaign funds comes down to the decisions of the donors.

"It's a matter of private decision, whether it's worthwhile to donate to him or not," he said. "It's the business of the donors.

Poftak added, "I wouldn't want to see the state micromanaging what's a valid expenditure and what isn't. You quickly get into a morass of trying to specify what" is a legitimate expense and what isn't.

Pamela Wilmot, who is executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts, an advocacy group dedicated to "effective government," according to its web site, was aware that Montigny had significant funds for a state senator in his campaign account for "many, many years."

"Since he was Ways and Means chair," she said.

She added, "I think there is a concern — something that could apply to the senator and to many, many members of the Legislature — that campaign funds can be used for a wide variety of expenses, many of which do support a lifestyle rather than being directly related to political campaigning. We advocated for a different standard for expenses to tighten up that relationship. That said, it is not unusual and certainly not unique and certainly not illegal, unless it's for personal use."

Montigny stressed that campaign funds "are not taxpayer money."

"I've never once had a constituent or a contributor complain," about his use of campaign funds, he said.

Montigny's office indicated the senator had a base salary of roughly $61,000 and received a $15,000 stipend for being the chairman of the Senate Committee on Post Audit and Oversight. In addition, he receives $7,200 for office expenses.

Montigny has filled his coffers while facing limited competition at the ballot box.

The man who would succeed William Q. "Biff" Maclean as the state senator representing New Bedford and surrounding communities first emerged victorious on Sept. 15, 1992, when he beat Walter Ramos and George Rogers in a three-way Democratic primary and rolled to victory in the general election for the Second Bristol and Plymouth seat representing New Bedford, Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven and Mattapoisett,

It was to become a theme. In the six subsequent Senate elections, Montigny was unopposed in both the primary and general election.

Schoolteacher Raimundo Delgado then challenged Montigny twice, but couldn't muster even 20 percent of the vote either time.

But the lack of serious competition has not stopped Montigny from raising money. He has spent more than $40,000 on fundraisers at the Hawthorne Country Club in North Dartmouth from 2002 to 2010.

Asked if the GOP would run someone for his senate district seat in 2012, Nassour said, "Anything is possible."

The average senator, per election cycle, spends about $120,000 said Wilmot.

Montigny has averaged more than $200,000 over his last four election cycles.

Montigny acknowledged that a large campaign account does offer some job security and can make challengers think twice about running against him.

"I don't think it hurts at all to show strength," he said.

The voters, however, would have no problem voting him out, he said, if they thought he was not doing the job, regardless of the amount in his campaign coffers.

The size of his campaign account has, at times, led to talk of running for higher office.

Cordeiro was among those to say such an account would give him a "leg up," on the competition should he decide to run for a statewide.

"He would already be a few yards down the field," he said.

Wilmot said legislators who raise this much often do so because they are contemplating a run statewide.

Montigny has acknowledged that he has considered running for statewide office over the years, specifically for lieutenant governor and state treasurer.

Montigny said he carefully considers his options every election cycle and said that in order for a candidate from outside Boston to run statewide and be taken seriously, a large campaign account and a demonstrable ability to raise money are musts.

However, elections for statewide offices such as treasurer, secretary of state are still a long way off. Those positions, along with the posts of attorney general, state auditor, governor and lieutenant governor, are up for election in 2014. Seats for U.S. Congress are up for election in 2012.

Will Montigny seek higher office?

"I honestly don't know," he said. "If I choose to run I will be a formidable contender. ... I don't do anything half-ass and I don't enter competitions to lose."

Nassour, however, said she believes thinks Montigny's opportunity to run statewide has passed.

"That ship has sailed," she said.

She cited the Ware Report, which last fall documented allegations of patronage and cronyism in the state's Probation Department. Montigny's name landed on a list of 20 legislators who most frequently recommended the hiring of Probation Department employees since 2000.

Montigny said if he doesn't use his campaign funds for a statewide run he's "going to have more fun playing Santa Clause," and giving his campaign funds to charities when he ultimately leaves politics "because you can't keep the money."

The expenses offer a glimpse into Montigny's restaurant preferences.

He expensed a total of $1,606 at Cafe Balena on North Water Street in New Bedford during 18 visits from 2002 to 2010. Likewise, he made 18 meals at Candleworks, also located on North Water Street, spending $2,600. He visited The Capital Grille in Providence at least a dozen times, expensing $2,551 there. The Clarke Cooke House Restaurant in Newport appears to be another of his favorite spots. There, he spent $3,593 over the course of 28 visits.

It's not all high end. Montigny also has frequented local pubs such as Catwalk Bar & Grille and Freestones City Grill. While Davio's, a Boston restaurant where Montigny has expensed three meals totalling $270 from 2004 to 2007, offers a 16-ounce prime natural aged rib eye for $39, a "works burger," at Freestones, a downtown New Bedford staple that is listed more than 30 times on his expenditures list, costs less than $11.

For flowers, Montigny's appears to prefer Garlington Florist. He expensed flowers for funerals, staff, and supporters from that shop at least 18 times in eight years, spending more than $1,200 of campaign funds.

He has bought $1,000 worth of cigars from George's Premium Cigars on Church Street.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.